Jerks, squirts and wash-ups

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Tom Cruise wipes his face with a towel after being doused with water.Photo: AP

Tom Cruise has decided to drop his complaints against four
pranksters who squirted
him with water at the British premiere of his new movie.

But Cruise's decision not to pursue the matter against the men,
who were filming a comedy sketch, did not mean they would not face
assault charges, Scotland Yard said.

"We will take into account the victim's views, but as of today
the four men are still on police bail and are due to report back to
police on July 4," a police spokesman said.

Cruise, 42, was on a red-carpet walkabout prior to the screening
of War of The Worlds - the latest adaptation of the H.G.
Wells classic - in London's Leicester Square on Sunday when a bogus
journalist stuck a joke microphone in front of him.

As Cruise started to talk, he was squirted with water from the
microphone prompting the star to lose his cool.

"I'm here giving you an interview, answering your questions and
you do something really nasty ... you're a jerk ... jerk ... you're
a jerk," the actor told the prankster.

Cruise said it was "disgusting" that someone should act in such
a way.

"I really work hard to make people feel good," he said as he
towelled himself dry.

The joker and his three-man camera crew were filming a sketch
for a new entertainment show for British broadcaster Channel 4.

When the same stunt was played on Sharon Osbourne last month,
there was a very different outcome.

The wife of veteran rocker Ozzy Osbourne turned the tables on
the prankster when she hurled a bucket of water over him, the
Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

Channel 4 was forced to apologise to Cruise for Sunday's
incident.

"The stunt was intended to be light-hearted rather than
malicious and we would apologise to Mr Cruise for any offence
caused," a spokesman said.